Monday, May 19, 2008

VADM Bernard F. Roeder - First Commander of the Naval Security Group

Acknowledged as the first Commander of the Naval Security Group, VADM Bernard F. Roeder graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1931. Admiral John S. McCain was a classmate of his at USNA.

His first assignment was in Long Beach, California aboard USS LEXINGTON in 1936. He served in the predecessor organization of the Naval Security Group performing communications, planning and direction finding activities twice before assuming command of the entire organization.

He served as COMNAVSECGRU from Nov 1957 - Jun 1960.

In the early 1960s, the Navy recognized that there was a requirement for a survivable communications platform immune to hostile military action. This communications link would connect the President to our Nation's ballistic missile submarines. As Director of Naval Communications, RADM Bernard F. Roeder, tasked Lieutenant Jerry O. Tuttle (JOT) with creating this unique platform with the succinct direction "Take charge and move out!" The acronym, TACAMO, was born.

From 1965-1966, he was Commander, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet.

From 1966-1969, he was Commander, FIRST Fleet embarked in USS SAINT PAUL (CA-73).

He died in 1970 from a heart attack while serving on active duty.

If you have addition information or a photo of VADM Roeder, please e-mail me.

2 comments:

KRN said...

He was part of naval signals intelligence Station C (Cast) on Cavite and then Corregidor, evacuated to Australia by the sub SARGO Feb-Mar 1942. One day out of Fremantle Western Australia, they were bombed by an Allied plane, suffered minor damage. By 14 March he was in Melbourne, a week or so before MacArthur got there. He was in GHQ in Brisbane by September 1942.

Unknown said...

Someone recently created a wikipedia article for him. I am his grandson, I am going to work with my aunt on adding, editing and updating the wikipedia page.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_F._Roeder